ASAFA Powell will attempt to be the third Stawell Gift winner off scratch.
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Powell is striving to join Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa from Madagascar, who was the first to achieve the feat in 1975, and Josh Ross in 2005.
Ross, who also won the Gift in 2003, has been given one metre.
Stawell Athletic Club and the Victorian Athletic League released Gift marks yesterday.
Ballarat’s Matt Wiltshire, who won the world famous 120m footrace last year, will start off 5.5m.
Despite the presence of Powell, which has resulted in most entrants getting a 2m lift, Wiltshire is back from his 8m of last year.
Ross and Wiltshire will be joined by four other past Stawell Gift winners – Mitchell Williams-Swain (2011) 4.5m, Sam Jamieson (2008) 6.5m, Aaron Stubbs (2009) 5.25m and Ballarat’s Rod Mathews (1999) 12m.
Early Gift favourite, Williamstown’s Khan Marr, will start from 5.25m, while Ballarat’s new national under-18 400m champion Sam Baird has 8m.
Stawell Athletic Club and the Victorian Athletic League have received the highest number of entries in the past decade.
Stawell Athletic Club president Scotney Hayter said Powell’s presence had changed the whole race.
“Obviously the major change is the handicap limit being lifted to 12m.
“This has ensured a slight increase in entries from last year, with 150 athletes entering the Gift, easing any concern that Powell’s presence had caused athletes to consider avoiding the Gift,” he said.
“We rely on the Victorian Athletic League stewards to ensure that all events are run fairly at Stawell and they do a very good job of ensuring the integrity of the race is upheld.”
VAL president Matthew Boyes said after many years of attracting international class athletes, it was encouraging they continued to compete at Stawell.
“Handicap running is unique and it’s something that we are very proud of,” Boyes said.
The Stawell Gift Easter Carnival will be run over three days – Saturday, March 30, Sunday, March 31, and Monday, April 1 – with Gift heats on the Saturday and semi-finals and final on Monday.
david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au